A number of fastening or clamping devices have been devised for a variety of purposes. In one application, clamps are used with electrical systems to connect electric shielding or insulation about electric wires, especially about electrical connectors that receive current carrying conductors. Clamps used in such applications are typically referred to as cable ties.
Cable ties generally are of one-piece construction, consisting of a metal or plastic band with a buckle attached rigidly to one end of the band. The free end of the band feeds through the buckle to form a loop enclosing the electrical wires. The buckle typically contains locking teeth or tabs which interlock with slots in the band during band adjustment to retain a desired periphery of the band.
Cable ties typically require mechanical tools to adjust the band periphery due to the force required to pull the band through the buckle. The interlocking of the locking teeth and slots during band adjustment causes friction, thereby significantly restricting the freedom of the band to move through the buckle. The resistance to movement of the band through the buckle is so significant that the resistance often renders adjustment of the band periphery by hand impractical, even when the band periphery is larger than the periphery of the electrical wires to be clamped.
As a result of the interlocking of the locking teeth and slots during band periphery adjustment, minor band periphery adjustments that require the band periphery to be increased, such as the inclusion of additional electrical wires in the bundle of wires to be clamped, generally engender cutting and discarding the cable tie. The interlocking of the locking teeth and band slots during band periphery adjustment makes the adjustments irreversible. Since cable ties typically are not reusable, another cable tie must be employed and the band periphery adjustment process started over again.
Cable ties are generally available only in selected sizes. Objects having an odd size that is both too small and too large for existing cable ties or objects that have a size too large for existing cable ties presently cannot be clamped with a single cable tie. If possible, the object must be separated into one or more smaller objects before clamping can be effectuated by one or more smaller cable ties.
Although cable ties are known and have been used in connection with electric cable or the like, it remains desirable to provide a cable tie that exhibits enhanced engagement characteristics between the band and the buckle. More specifically, there exists a need for a cable tie that promotes the movement of the band through the buckle by reducing the friction between them. Further, there is a need for a cable tie whose periphery can be not only decreased but also increased. Further, there is a need for a cable tie that may clamp objects having an odd size or objects that are too large for existing cable ties. Further, there is a need for tie with a low and smooth profile (e.g., the top of the cable tie has a smooth upper surface with a reduced number of protrusions.)